WRITE TO PEERS

The House of Lords should begin their consideration of the Governments' Racial & Religious Hatred Bill on 11th October 2005. We pray they will vote against it at Second Reading, even though it was in Labour's Manifesto. Twice before, in the 2001 Terrorism Act and earlier this year in the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act, the House of Lords has thrown out this legislation. We believe the Bill would severely limit preaching of the Gospel. The Bill makes it a criminal offence to say anything or distribute literature which is 'likely to to be heard or seen by any person in whom it is likely to stir up ... religious hatred.' That could be anybody. 'Religious hatred' in the Bill means 'hatred against a group of persons defined by reference to religious belief or lack of religious belief,' - which must include followers of all other religions as well as sinners in general - but neither 'hatred' nor 'religious' is actually defined. The Courts will have wide discretion to interpret such a provision in a way which would criminalise virtually every genuine Gospel preacher.

If a preacher is raising human rights concerns over the treatment of Christians in Muslim countries, or unpacking the Qu'ran, or denouncing Muslim extremism, it is very likely he would be caught by the new law, as Daniel Scot was by the State of Victoria's 'Religious vilification' law. If he was, as we do in our paper 'Diwali - a parents' guide', explaining the horrors of Hinduism, and the subjection that results from the practical outworkings of Hindu mythology and the caste system, a charge of 'stirring up religious hatred' would be almost inevitable. Thus will there be a clash between Christianity and this legislation. Our Saviour commands us to go and preach the Gospel. If we are to preach the Gospel we shall inevitably speak against the claims of other religions.

FREE EXPRESSION OF RELIGIOUS VIEWSThe Racial and Religious Hatred Bill will as we understand it criminalise preaching the Good News that Jesus is the only way to the Father, and land Christians in jail. In case some of the peers on our list below are not too keen on Jesus, it is worth saying it will also prevent the free expression of religious views, and the robust criticism of religion in general or in particular. The frank and passionate exchanges between Christians and Muslims at Speaker's Corner could become a thing of the past.

At the same time, a measure whose proponents claim is necessary for good relations between followers of different religions will, when the first case is brought, set those followers at each others' throats. Christians and Muslims in Victoria are now attending each other's meetings, jotting down the slightest indiscretion. Nor have the Government established a need for the new law, apart from the electoral need to appease the Muslim vote. In the wake of 9/11, with Palestinian terrorism fresh in the mind, suicide bombings in London now a reality and bombings in Iraq happening almost daily, Muslims wish to silence any view that their faith encourages the taking of innocent infidel life.

PRAY: That the House of Lords reject the Racial and Religious Hatred Bill. Pray that big speeches are made against it in the Second Reading Debate. Pray for confusion in the Government ranks. Pray for the Church of England, the Salvation Army, the Methodists and others who misguidedly support the Bill, believing it will help relations between faiths in Britain, or that it could be a substitute for the blasphemy laws. Pray for clarity on our side. Pray that there will be no hint of compromise from other Christian lobby organisations. The Bill must go in its entirety, and no 'conscience exemptions' must even be thought about. This is a time for the Church to stand firm and see a miracle of deliverance from Almighty God.

WRITE: To your local peers as listed below. Ask them to vote against the Racial and Religious Bill at the first opportunity. Stress the various arguments as you feel led. Those marked with an asterisk are not normally sympathetic but they voted against a similar measure in 2001. Freedom of speech arguments will work best with them. Write to your peers at: 'House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW' Address letters to each peer just as in the list, except where we have omitted 'The' before Lord and abbreviated Baroness to 'Bs' to save space. Put 'The Lord' and 'Baroness' respectively. Begin your letter: "My Lord" or "My Lord Bishop" (Most Bishops in the House of Lords are listed) or for Baronesses, "My Lady." Archbishops and Dukes are "Your Grace". End your letter "Yours faithfully."

LIST OF PEERS

(Who have in the past, or whom we hope now to be, opposed to Religious Hatred legislation)

Norfolk
The Lord Buxton of Alsa
The Lord Fellowes
The Lord MacGregor of Pulham Market
The Lord Oliver of Aylmerton
Baroness Rawlings
Bs Shephard of Northwold
The Viscount Ullswater

Northamptonshire
Baroness Knight of Collingtree

Northumberland
The Lord Elliott of Morpeth
The Lord Lloyd of Berwick
The Lord Murton of Lindisfarne * The Lord Redesdale
The Lord Stevens of Kirkwhelpington
The Lord Vinson
The Lord Walton of Detchant

Nottinghamshire
The Lord Bishop of Southwell,

Oxfordshire
The Earl of Arran
The Viscount Astor
The Earl Baldwin of Bewdley
The Lord Butler of Brockwell
The Earl of Caithness
The Lord Chadlington
* The Lord Dahrendorf
* The Lord Goodhart
The Lord Heseltine
The Lord Hurd of Westwell
The Lord May of Oxford
The Lord Moore of Wolvercote
Baroness Perry of Southwark
The Lord Quinton
The Lord Rotherwick

Somerset
Lord Armstrong of Ilminster
* The Lord Ashdown of Norton‑sub‑Hamdon
The Lord Dean of Harptree
The Lord Hylton
The Lord King of Bridgwater
The Lord Mayhew of Twysden
* Bs Miller of Chilthorne Domer
The Lord Patten
The Lord Peyton of Yeovil
Lord Pilkington of Oxenford
The Lord Rees-Mogg
The Lord Skelmersdale
The Lord Williamson of Horton

Warwickshire
The Lord Blyth of Rowington
Baroness Seccombe
The Lord Taylor of Warwick
The Lord Tombs

Wiltshire
The Lord Brooke of Sutton Mandeville
Lord Hussey of North Bradley
The Lord Lucas
* The Lord Methuen
The Lord Stoddart of Swindon
The Lord Vincent of Coleshill
* Baroness Warnock

Worcestershire
The Earl of Courtown
The Countess of Mar
The Lord Walker of Worcester

Yorkshire
The Lord Ahmed
Rt Hon the Lord Barber
Lord Brittan of Spennithorne
The Lord Crathorne
Baroness Eccles of Moulton
The Lord Hanson
* Baroness Harris of Richmond
The Lord Hope of Thornes
The Lord Inge
The Lord Jopling
The Lord Kirkham
Lord Lofthouse of Pontefract
Baroness Masham of Ilton
The Lord Mason of Barnsley
* The Lord Newby
The Earl Peel
The Lord Shaw of Northstead
* The Lord Shutt of Greetland
The Lord Simon of Glaisdale
* The Lord Wallace of Saltaire
The Lord Archbishop of York

WALES:Brecknockshire
The Lord Crickhowell
* The Lord Livsey of Talgarth
The Lord Moran

Caernarfonshire
The Lord Roberts of Conwy

Denbighshire
The Lord Colwyn
* The Lord Thomas of Gresford
The Lord Thomas of Gwydir

Glamorgan
Lord Anderson of Swansea
The Lord Brooks of Tremorfa
The Lord Davies of Coity
Lord Griffiths of Fforestfach
The Lord Howe of Aberavon
The Lord Islwyn
Bs McFarlane of Llandaff